Deschampsia Meadow

The Deschampsia meadow is so named due to the predominance of the Deschampsia cespitosa cultivar “Bronzeschlier’. Here this native grass is used to create a naturalistic type planting of minimalist formality. This is sometimes called a matrix planting due to a minority of flowering plants interspersed within a matrix of grass. In this case this minority element is represented by the very structural and long-lasting form of the self-sowing biennial Digitalis ferrunginea.

The resultant dreamy, meadow-like atmosphere creates a sense of wholeness by fully encompassing the nursery sales area with its mass. The soft cloud-like infloresence are juxtaposed and accentuated by the hard, flat and linear brick paving, ranks of potted plants, and the Perennial Meadow, which is a much more diverse planting. Within the planting itself, the Digitalis provides a strong contrast with its upright emergent form. What is of particular interest here is the evolution of the grass itself, and the continuity of space it creates over a long period of time – from spring into winter. Were it not for this plant’s long-season of interest, the whole of the aforementioned effect would be lost. Though subtle, there is a clear difference in the appearance of the planting from season to season. Just prior to winter, the grass is finally clipped into its most formal topiary like form. Here the individual plants are evident creating a different sense of formality with their orderliness. Deschampsia is not the only grass that can be used in this way, the most important criteria being that whatever plant is used, it must remain structurally intact for a long period of time, and thus aesthetically pleasing. One must have fun experimenting

From a cultural standpoint, this clipping is necessary to reduce the amount of damage wrought by invading critters who relish the abundance of nest building material, stockpiling it within the homes they have built by significantly burrowing within the root system of the grass itself. It should be noted that to leave a planting of any type intact and through the winter does increase the likelihood of it becoming a metropolis for rodents, though the final expression of the garden is lost. As the grass is clipped its leaves naturally fall around its base creating an excellent moisture retaining, weed suppressing, soil-building mulch. As the individual plants senesce they leave behind improved growing conditions for their replacements.

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